What is an upper blepharoplasty and who should get it?

Cosmetic surgery is on the rise. Among the most popular procedures is the upper blepharoplasty (bleh-fe-roe-plah-stee) or what many people call an eyelid lift.

What is an upper blepharoplasty?

• A surgeon removes excess eyelid skin to reconstruct the upper eyelid.
• Upper blepharoplasty is different from lower blepharoplasty, which focuses on the reconstruction of the lower eye.

Why consider this procedure?

• Vision trouble caused by extra eyelid skin.
• You want to make a cosmetic change. Some people say the extra eyelid skin makes them look older and tired.

What happens during upper blepharoplasty?

• A surgeon uses a marker to outline the areas of the eyelid they want to remove.
• This procedure can be completed in an hour and a half or less with a local numbing medicine or general anesthesia.
• The marked skin and a strip of muscle will be removed, which causes everything to retract and leads to a smoother appearance.

How long is recovery?

• You’ll check back in with your doctor about a week after the procedure.
• We’ll send you home with ointment to keep the area from becoming dry.
• Pain is tolerable and there will be some bruising because the eyelid is a delicate area.
• There won’t be anything to obstruct your vision.
• Once the bruising goes away, you’ll likely have a very fine scar that will be hard for the untrained eye to see, and it can be covered with makeup once everything has healed.

Quick reminder if you’re also considering an eyebrow lift
It’s best to see a surgeon who can evaluate you for both procedures at the same time. By doing these surgeries together, the surgeon can pull the brow up first, then figure out how much skin to remove from the upper eyelid. If you get an upper blepharoplasty and later want an eyebrow lift, your surgeon may have removed too much eyelid skin, limiting how much of an eyebrow lift you can safely achieve.

A final note on cosmetic surgery
Gravity is undefeated. It affects the way people look and feel as they age in different ways. People who have had upper blepharoplasty to improve their vision or appearance often say they look more energized and ten to twenty years younger. No one has to get plastic surgeries or procedures, but if you choose to, there are options, such as the upper blepharoplasty, which are safe and subtle. Read these five things to if you are considering having cosmetic surgery.